Worth



(No Model.)

A. B. HOLLINGSWORTH.

DEVICE FOR DBTAGHING STOCK N0. 266,291. Patented Oqt. 24, 1882..

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

AMOS B. HOLLINGSWORTH, OF WILNA, MARYLAND.

DEVICE FOR DETACHING STOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,291, dated October 24, 1882.

Application filed J one 30, 1882.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, AMos B. HOLLINGS- WORTH, of Wilna, Harford count-y, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Detaching Stock; and I hereby declare the same to be fully, clearly, and exactly described as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a part of the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a device for fastening the halters of horses and cattle to the feed-troughs of stalls, and for detaching the same when desired.

Live stock generally, and particularly horses, become, however'docile under ordinary circumstances, perfectly unmanageable and crazy with fright in case of the stable catching fire, rendering it difficult and dangerous to enter the stalls to loosen the halters.

I have devised a catch designed to secure the end link of the halter chain or strap to the trough, and adapted to quickly and certainly release it when desired.

In the drawings, Ais the trough, and B is a rod or shalt running throughout the length of the stable in front of the series of troughs. This rod passes through a casting, a, secured toeach trough, and carries at its end a lever, G, adapted to engage with holes or notches c in a bar, 0, secured on the end of the trough. Within the casting a is secured upon the rod B a hook, D, which, when the lever occupies (No model.)

the position shown, is turned up against the front of the trough. A ledge, I), inclined as shown, is formed on the frontof the casting a, and is designed to free the link E from the hook when the latter is turned down, as indicated in dotted lines.

In operation the lever is raised so as to bring the point of the hook clear of the trough, whenthe link' is inserted through the top of the casting and passed over the point of the hook, the latter being finally turned back against the trough, securing the link. As above stated, a number of the hooks and castings are used in connection with a single shaft or rod B. When it is desired to release the links E, the lever is lifted, causing the hooks to turn down.

The device is not only of importance in case of fire or other emergency,but is also veryconvenient under ordinary circumstances to loose the stock and enable them to leave the stab] for water or pasture.

The device may be very cheaply constructed, and is applicable to troughs as at present constructed and in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the rod and actuating lever, the casting a, having ledge b, and the hook D, substantially as set forth.

AMOS B. HOLLINGSWORTH.

Witnesses: V

GEORGE W. RICHARDSON, CHARLES S. RICHARDSON. 

